1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for exploiting fuel having a high sulfur content, and more particularly, to exploiting high sulfur content oil.
2. Background
Environmental considerations restrict the use of fuels having a high sulfur content, particularly oil. This is particularly the case for high capacity power plants where use of high sulfur content fuel is curtailed in order to avoid the release into the atmosphere of oxides of sulfur produced by the combustion of such fuel. The presence of oxides of sulfur in the atmosphere is a main cause of acid rain which falls on the earth when the oxides dissolve in atmospheric water during precipitation. Very large geographic areas are adversely affected by acid rain in many parts of the world. So serious is the problem that international efforts are under way in an effort to ameliorate this problem.
One solution to the deleterious effects of acid rain on vegetation, buildings, vehicles, and people, in the affected area, is to require power plants to burn low sulfur content fuels, such as low sulfur content oil. This increases the already high demand for low sulfur fuels thus increasing the cost of these fuels because reserves of low sulfur content fuels, particularly crude oil, and their production is limited. Consequently, much of the crude oil extracted today is high in sulfur content; and to utilize this crude for fuel requires expensive desulfurization by the refinery to produce what is termed low sulfur fuel for power plants. Being in short supply, this fuel is expensive, and supplies thereof are not reliable.
An alternative approach to reducing acid rain is to install expensive scrubbers in the stacks of power plants to permit the use high sulfur content fuel and at the same time to prevent the release of sulfur compounds into the air. In either case, the economic cost for reducing acid rain is large.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improve method for economically exploiting high sulfur content fuel, such as oil, such that the release of sulfur into the atmosphere is reduced or substantially prevented.